VERNON -- A 30-year-old resident was arrested for stealing more than $40,000 in jewelry and cash from homes during a two-month crime spree in Sussex, Morris and Warren counties, police said today.

Daniel Keiper, who is unemployed, was arrested at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night on Scenic Lakes Road in Hardyston, when his white Jeep Cherokee was stopped, and he was found to be in possession of heroin and hypodermic needles, police said.

Police said Keiper was charged or has charges pending in the following Sussex County burglaries:

• Two handguns allegedly stolen from a home on Mountain Road in Hardyston on May 5;

• $4,000 in jewelry allegedly stolen from a home on Zinnia Drive in Vernon on May 4;

• $28,000 in jewelry, a flat screen TV and a Wii game system allegedly stolen from a home on Lauren Lane in Vernon on April 14;

• $1,600 in jewelry and $800 in cash allegedly stolen from a home on Rudetown Road in Hardyston on April 6;

• $3,000 in jewelry and a Nintendo DS gaming system allegedly stolen from a home on Marigold Court in Vernon on March 23;

• $1,500 in jewelry was allegedly stolen from a home on Mountain Top Court in Vernon on Feb. 25.

State Police have additional burglary charges pending against Keiper in Fredon in Sussex County and in Frelinghuysen in Warren County, authorities said. Possession of stolen property charges are pending in Morris County, Vernon police said.

Vernon police said a multi-agency investigation began when they found similarities in the burglaries -- all of the homes were forcibly entered during the day -- and Keiper was identified as a suspect.

The Intelligence Crime Force in the Morris County Prosecutor's Office linked the suspect to the sale of jewelry at several pawnshops in Morris County and helped recover some of the stolen jewelry, Vernon police said.

Surveillance was conducted on Keiper by the State Police Electronic Surveillance Unit, authorities said.

He is being held in the Sussex County jail in lieu of $65,000 bail, police said.